Rose awoke the next morning with the Doctor still sleeping soundly with his arm around her. She smiled to herself at the sight, her chest and stomach warming up on the inside from all the fuzziness. She felt safe sleeping next to him all night. It was like she was his companion, even in their dreams. If she had a nightmare, the Doctor would be there to protect her. If only there were more nights like this...

"Rose?" called a voice.

Rose nearly fell off the bed. Her mum! She completely forgot her mother was in the flat! Had she seen them sleeping together? It was not like they did anything but still! The sight alone would have Jackie drop kicking the Doctor out the door in an instant.

Rose slowly sat up, careful not to wake the Doctor, stood up, quickly tiptoed out the Doctor's room, into her own bedroom, and tossed magazines onto her bed, making it look like she fell asleep on her bed. Jackie poked her head in and smiled.

"There you are!" she said happily. "Did you fall asleep in your clothes?"

"Yeah," Rose lied, pretending to yawn. "Was just looking through some old magazines last night and I guess I must have been knackered!"

"I know I was!" Jackie added, sitting on the bed. "I went out last night with a friend after I cooked that broth and we went shopping. She invited me to spend the night and it was a good thing I bought some new nightclothes! They were very comfortable! Definitely worth the ten pounds I spent on them! But first, we went to a lovely late dinner..."

Rose breathed a sigh of relief. Her mother wasn't home.

"...wonderful Indian food!" Jackie finished. She looked down at Rose. "Anyway, how's the Doctor this morning?"

"I don't know," Rose answered truthfully. "Think he's still asleep. I'll go check on him and see how he's doing!"

Jackie nodded. "Okay, I'll go start some laundry and watch some telly after that," she added, leaving the room.

Once her mother was gone, Rose hopped out of bed and went back over to the Doctor's room, opening the door to find the Doctor lying there with his eyes halfway open and looking sad until he saw Rose. He smiled a weak smile and his eyes sparkled a little.

"There you are," he said calmly. He sounded almost like normal, though still a little congested. "I woke up and saw you were gone, so it made me a little upset."

"I'm sorry, Doctor," Rose explained. "I heard my mum coming home so I had to dash out. How did you sleep?"

"I had a good sleep," The Doctor added, sitting up and propping himself up against his pillows. Rose fluffed his pillows as he laid into them. "It was nice to have company instead of being alone. What about you?"

"Same," Rose answered, hiding that she really slept amazingly. The Doctor's arms around her tightly with her face buried in his chest, as if he was guarding her. She could have sworn she felt the Doctor rubbing her back and some kisses at the top of her head but it may have been a dream. (It wasn't).

"How are you feeling?" asked Rose, her voice laced with concern. The Doctor may have sounded better but she never knew.

"Better," The Doctor answered, grabbing a tissue and coughing into it. "Just coughing and hacking up a lot."

"Maybe a hot shower will help?" Rose suggested. "You could breathe in the steam and hopefully it'll clear up your chest."

The Doctor nodded, scratching his chin, which was now covered by a five o'clock shadow. "You're right," he agreed. "Also could use a shave." He hadn't shaved since the morning he was sick. He didn't even know how he managed to pull that off without cutting himself when he was so weak. He still wasn't one hundred percent better, maybe about a sixty-two, but that was enough to shave.

"Think my mum has some clean jim jams, too," Rose continued. "She had a lot of her, um, friends, leave clothes here."

The Doctor chuckled. "Probably should get me a robe, too. Check the pockets for fruit. Maybe there's a peach in there!" he joked, making Rose laugh in the process.

So Rose found him a clean pair of pajamas and a robe and the Doctor went into the bathroom to take his shower. As he set the clothes down on the toilet, he studied his face in the mirror. He looked tired, his eyes glassy, and bags under his eyes. Maybe my age is finally catching up to me, he thought to himself as he started the shower water.

While the Doctor showered, Rose made some tea and a small breakfast for herself. As she was finished, the Doctor shuffled in wearing a robe over some light blue pajamas and some slippers. He was clean shaven and his hair was no longer sticking up, looking much softer. Rose felt a little saddened about his hair, since she loved his unruly hair, but she noticed there was more colour in the Doctor's complexion. That was something Rose liked better right now.

"You look much better, Doctor!" Rose complimented with a smile.

The Doctor grinned, rubbing his now smooth chin. "Still don't feel the part but nice to look good," he joked before coughing into his sleeve.

Rose pulled a chair at the kitchen table and offered it to him, which he took. There was a steaming cup of tea in front of him, to which he helped himself. The Doctor checked the robe pockets and discovered there were sweets in there. Rose realized (program won't let me write British version with an "s") that the robe belonged to one of her male cousins from her father's side who was going through his teen years. While her father had passed on, Rose still had some of his relatives come to visit.

"I remember going through a growth spurt back on Gallifrey," The Doctor reminisced. "I grew to be eight feet tall when I was seventeen, then shrunk down to four feet, and then to six feet, and did I mention this was all in the same week?"

Rose burst into laughter. "You did not!"

"I did!"

Rose continued to laugh. She did not know what the Doctor looked like back on Gallifrey, but she somehow imagined a younger version of this Doctor in different heights. It made her laugh even harder.

However, the fun stopped when the Doctor shouted in pain and grasped at his head.

"Doctor!" Rose cried. "Are you alright?"

"Think so," The Doctor said. "Just a headache."

"D'you want some aspirin?" Rose asked.

The Doctor shook his head. "Allergic," he replied when another pain shot through his head. "Gah!"

"You've got to be kidding me!" Rose groaned in frustration. "That's the only painkiller we have in the house!"

The Doctor stood up and shuffled back to his room where he lied back down. Rose entered the room, sitting on the bed and taking the Doctor's hand into hers.

"It'll pass, Rose," The Doctor reassured her with a tiny smile. "It's all a part of being sick. I just need a bit more rest, is all."

Rose's eyes watered. She hated to see the Doctor like this. It had been nearly a week since the Doctor got sick and she was already missing the TARDIS. She missed flying around with the Doctor and getting into all sorts of trouble. She hated seeing the Doctor so weak and vulnerable but she did enjoy taking care of him since he has always taken care of her.

Rose didn't realize the Doctor had fallen asleep and that she was still holding his hand. She was about to let go when she thought she heard the Doctor say Rose...

"Doctor?" Rose asked aloud. She turned to the Doctor who was still asleep.

Rose...she heard again.

"Doctor, I'm right here," Rose said to him, squeezing his hand. That was when it hit her. He was speaking telepathically to her in his sleep!

My beautiful Rose...he said. I am so happy I have you here with me, you just don't know. I love you so much.

Rose gasped in surprise. He did love her! It was everything she had ever hoped! She smiled, with tears streaming down her eyes, letting go of the Doctor's hand to clasp her hands over her mouth to contain her joy.

"Oh, Doctor..." she whispered. "I love you too."

With that, she leaned forward, kissed the Doctor on the cheek, and waited. The only thing she got out of the Doctor was a sigh from his sleep. I don't get it, she thought to herself, feeling confused and upset as she stood up. She sadly stroked the Doctor's hair, briefly touching his forehead when she heard him again, only this time, he was singing a song. Rose smiled to herself. He's a lovely singer. We need to go to karaoke someday! She began to fantasize about her and the Doctor having a sing-off when she was interrupted.

"Rose?" Jackie shouted from the front door. "I'm home! Come help me unload the taxi. I've got loads of groceries. I got you that blackcurrant jam you like!"

"Coming, Mum!" Rose called after her, bounding out of the room...